Garment support



Aug. M, 1934;, G. J. MORIARTY GARMENT SUPPORT Filed May 16, 1933l Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNITED ASTA 6 claims.

This invention relates to garment supports and more specifically to garters for supporting hosiery.

Known articles of this class require a clasping device for the leg encircling band and a distinct clasp for grasping the apparel. Such multiplication of clasps becomes costly and introduces additional points of wear upon the fabric of which such garters are usually constructed.

Prior devices do not properly provide for movements of the garter parts to compensate for flexing of the leg muscles and are thereforeapt to bind or abrade the skin of the wearer to his great discomfort.

Another shortcoming is the necessity of discriminating the right garter from the left in such early structures, as in most cases they are each best adapted to one or the other-leg and not interchangeable.

The present invention seeks to solve these problems and to overcome the faults and limitations inherent in prior devices by providing a clasping element common to both leg encircling band and hose engaging button, and by providing means for unrestricted play of the ends of the leg encircling band in response to the expansion and contraction of the leg muscles of the wearer.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation along 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section along 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section along 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the clasping element.

Fig. 6 is a modification in plan.

Fig. l is a sectional elevation along Fig. 6. Y

Fig. 8 is a rear view of the device of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is an end view of the modification.

Referring to Fig. 1, 15 denotes a clasping element which receives the looped end 16 of a body encircling band 17 in the arcuate slot 18 extending approximately through 180. The other end of the band 1'7 is fastened to a hooking element 19 which is received in the aperture 20 of the clasping element. Also carried by the clasping element is an apparel or garment engaging element or button 21 which is received in the keyhole slot 22 of the clasping element in cooperation with which a portion of the garment to be supported is firmly gripped. Carried by the looped end of the band 1'7 there is an adjusting device 23 for conforming the effective length of the band to the size of the leg upon which the device is to be used.

At the upper end of the clasping element a curved portion or fiare 24 is provided as best shown in Fig.42. Due to this curvature, the upper portion of the clasping element 15 is held out of contact'with the leg of the wearer as much as possible, to permit a great freedom of motion of the band in the slot 18. The garment engaging element 21 which may be of the ordinary rubber covered type, is suspended on a suitable length of fabric 26, which may be of the elastic ribbed type, from a bar 25 formed integrally with the clasping element 15, and about which the fabric 26 is threaded and fastened in asuitable manner as by an] adhesive or stitching.

The engagement of the hooking element 19 carried by one end of the band 1'7, with the clasping element l5 is best shown in Fig.;3. The hooking element is substantially D-shaped and is preferably larger in its major direction than is the diameter of the aperture 20. This necessitates passing the element 19 through the aperture by tilting it with respect to the plane of the clasping element and inserting one of its smaller termini 29. After insertion, member 19 has a substantial and at surface of member 15 so held by tension of band 1'7 which engages the lower surface of the clasping element. The bar 27 integral with member 19 receives the end of band 17 which is threaded thereabout and preferably somewhat stiifened over a substantial length by adhesive or stitching so that the insertion and removal of the hooking element will be facilitated and the hooking element Will be prevented from twisting out of position.

Fig. 4 shows the manner in which the looped end of the band is received in the slot 18, and the manner in which it is adjusted by the device 23.

A modification shown in Figs. 6, '7, 8 and 9 distinguishes primarily by the provision of spaced projections or shoulders 28 at the upper end of the clasping element 15, integral or attached, in lieu of the curved portion 24. These projections 28 provided at the rear of the clasping element maintain this portion out of contact with the skin of the wearer and consequently relieve `pressure of the band ends against the leg to permit such freedom of movement of the band that it will not abrade the skin of the wearer, nor will it cause a binding effect during the flexing of the wearers muscles.

As shown in Fig. 1, the looped end 16 of the TES PATENT OFFICE l bearing upon the top y band 1'7 engages the left side of the clasping element 15 while the hook carrying end engages the right side. The relative positions of these two ends may be conveniently interchanged however by sliding the looped end to the right side of slot 18 and inserting the hooking element 19 from below the clasping element at the left side. This reversibility enables the wearer to position the supports upon either leg,lyet have the hooking element enter the clasping elementfrom either inside or outside of the leg.

The clasping element 15 in both forms is pref'- erably made of Celluloid or similar material, or may be of metal, capable of being formed by a single stamping operation, or may be c'elluloid' reinforced internally or externally with metal or I the like. The band 17 is preferably. an elastic fabric of the Webbed type customarily employed for garters.

The clasping element or hooking element or both may be provided with a fabriobacking to contact the esh of ,the wearer, suchV fabric being of silk, satin, or any desired material.

The large angular extent of slot 18 will permit wide regulation of the band 17, inasmuch as either a tight or loose relation of the band upon the leg of the wearer will provide a normalrelation of the looped end of the .band to the arc of the slot, which position will be maintained for any relative adjustment of the band in the slot.

This invention is not to be limited to any specic shapes or materialsexcept as provided in theappended claims. Y

I claim:

1. A garment supporter comprising a body encircling band, a clasping element engageable with the ends of said band for relative rotation therewith, said element having means eiective tospace the upper edge of the element outwardlywhen in use, and a garment engaging element.

2. A garment supporter comprising a body encircling band, a clasping element engageable with the ends of said band for relative rotation therewith, said element having its upper edge portion curved outwardly and eiective to space the upper edge of the element outwardly when in use, and a garment engaging element.

3. A garment supporter comprising a body encircling band, a clasping element engageable with the ends of saidband for relative rotation therewith, said element having an abutment on its inner face effective to space the upper edge of the element outwardly when in use, and a garment engaging element.

4. A garment supporter comprising a body encircling band, a clasping element having openings extending substantially from side to side thereof and effective to provide relative rotational engagement with the ends of said band at radially spaced portions of said clasping element, and having an apparel engaging portion.

5. A garment supporter comprising a body encircling band, a clasping element having an arcuate slot extending substantially from sideto side thereof and eiective to provide relative rotational engagement with an end of said band, means to provide a clasping engagement between said element and the other element having an apparel engaging portion.

6.V -Agarment supporter comprising a body encircling band, a clasping element having a substantially circular opening and an arcuate slot concentric therewith, said opening and slot cX- tending substantially from side to side of the element and being effective to provide relative rotational engagement with the ends of said band at radially spaced portions of said clasping element, said element having an apparel engaging portion. Y

GEO. J. MORIARTY.

end of said band, said 

